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N248 Remark Code: Missing or Invalid Assistant Surgeon Name

N248 means the assistant surgeon's name on the claim was missing, incomplete, or invalid. The payer could not identify the assistant or match the name against its provider records.

Quick facts

Code
N248 (RARC N248)
Status
Active In use since December 2, 2004.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The assistant service was denied or held for a provider data issue. The provider corrects it; the patient is not liable.
Official description
Missing/incomplete/invalid assistant surgeon name.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N248 means

The name is the simplest identifier on a claim, and payers still check it. N248 says the assistant surgeon’s name was blank, cut off, or did not agree with the payer’s records for that provider. It commonly comes with CARC 16.

Because assistants usually file their own claims with an assistant modifier (80, 81, 82, or AS), the name at issue is often the rendering provider name on the assistant’s claim. Where a payer’s format includes a separate assistant surgeon field, that field may be the problem.

Typical triggers

  • A first and last name reversed, or a missing first name.
  • Credentials such as MD or PA-C typed into the last name field.
  • A married or previous name that differs from the name on file with NPPES or the payer.
  • Truncation because the billing system limits field length.
  • The surgeon’s name was entered instead of the assistant’s.

How to fix it

  1. Look up the assistant’s legal name in NPPES and in the payer’s enrollment record.
  2. Correct the name fields on the claim, keeping credentials out of the name.
  3. Confirm the NPI next to the name belongs to the same person.
  4. Submit a corrected claim with resubmission code 7 and the original claim number.
  5. If the payer’s records are outdated, update enrollment before resubmitting.

How to prevent it

Pull provider names from a single master file synced with NPPES instead of typing them per claim. When a clinician changes their name, update NPPES, each payer, and your billing system on the same schedule.

Codes that may appear with N248

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim is missing information needed to adjudicate; N248 names the assistant surgeon's name.
  • CO-208 (National Provider Identifier - Not matched.): The NPI does not match, which can accompany a name that doesn't align with the NPI record.
  • N249 (Missing/incomplete/invalid assistant surgeon primary identifier.): The assistant surgeon's primary identifier was missing or invalid.
  • N247 (Missing/incomplete/invalid assistant surgeon taxonomy.): The assistant surgeon's taxonomy was missing or invalid.
  • N261 (Missing/incomplete/invalid operating provider name.): The operating provider's name was missing or invalid on an institutional claim.

N248 FAQ

Where should the assistant surgeon's name appear?

Usually the assistant bills on their own professional claim as the rendering provider, so the name belongs in the rendering provider fields. Some payer formats also carry an assistant surgeon field; follow the payer's companion guide.

Does the name need to match NPPES exactly?

Payers commonly check the name against the NPI registry or their enrollment file. Use the legal name as registered, without nicknames or credentials in the name fields.

What if the assistant recently changed their name?

Update NPPES and payer enrollment first. Until the payer updates, name mismatches may keep causing denials.